DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are open to reforms in the pension system for military and uniformed personnel, but noted they must be carefully studied.
”For us, in the AFP and DND position, it is right to have pension reform. However, the AFP pension should be separate because it is national, and the duties of the AFP are different,” Teodoro said in an interview.
He said any changes should not affect military personnel currently in service or those who have already retired.
Teodoro suggested that changes could instead be applied to new entrants.
”For those who are newly entering, it is right, and it should just be studied carefully so that it will not burden recruitment too much because we are also short of soldiers,” he said.
This comes as the government considers reforms to the military and uniformed personnel pension system.
Teodoro said the government must take into account the military’s need to maintain an adequate pool of personnel amid security challenges.
